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I would go for it. We have travelled extensively in South America but never to Ecuador. We are now seriously considering spending a few months there this winter. What appeals is the low cost of living and the sheer variety of cultures and landscapes packed into such a small country from volcanoes, and beaches to rainforest as well as the native culture and colonial architecture. Fodors has some very useful destination info:http://www.fodors.com/world/south-america/ecuador/

You should go, Ecuador offers a wide variety of cultures, also said to be quite easy on the budget. The Galapagos are high up on my wish list, with a couple of days in Quito and the Bellavista cloud forest, though of course the islands don't come cheap

Yes, Ecuador is well worth a visit. Quito is a splendid city and much safer than it's former reputation. We spent two months in more compact Cuenca learning Spanish and generally enjoying the historic centre which is walkable and safe.
Canoa on the coast is a surfing hangout, but pretty bamboo hotels and great walks on the beach.
The Galapagos Islands are suffering terribly from the excesses of tourism, many species dying out....do some research onlinebefore you make the decision as to whether to go.

You should starst with the sierra from Quito to Cuenca (visintg the site in between)and them move on to the costal line from Cuanca to Guayas Province and from there up to Manabi. That is called La Ruta del Sol ("Route of the Sun") - loveley beaches and landscapes. I suggest Canoa, San Vicente and Los Frailes. Each beach on the coastlien holds its buaty, though.

We are thinking about Ecuador too. I have always traveled independently, but there is a trip through Virgin Air that seems like a good deal for the interior of the country (Quito, Otavalo, Papallacta, Rio Napo, Patate). How hard is it to plan and execute a trip on your own? The above places seem good but any input is appreciated.

ttt
Well, here we are again and seriously considering this trip for next Oct. or Nov., 2014. Any new thoughts are gratefully appreciated. This time it will be 4 active 60 somethings and not going to the Islands.

We spent a couple of months in Ecuador as part of a longer trip to South America last year. We didn't bother with the Galapagos but had great time elsewhere in the country although we found the coast to be a bit of a disappointment, possibly because it was not the best time of year weather wise.

Ecuador is quite small but has a lot packed into it, a bit like a condensed South America, mountains, beaches, lakes, jungle etc.. pretty easy to get around and amazingly good value.

Great that you are planning to dedicate your time to Ecuador's mainland. So often people use it as a stop over to get to and from the Galapagos, and then leave full of regret that they didn't spend time also discovering the Andes, Amazon etc!

'We'll just have to come back' was something I often heard when I worked in a hotel in Quito, but it's always difficult to come back when there are so many countries in the world to discover!

How much time do you think you'll have to spend in Ecuador? It is a country perfect to enjoy active travel - do you have specific interests? History? Wildlife? Walking? Beach? Cities? A bit of everything?

I spent a few weeks in Ecuador, following crellston's lead. No Galapagos. A week was spent birdwatching, so that may not be in your wheelhouse, but they have some good independent guides around Mindo as well as reserves.

I liked Otavalo as well as Quito. However my favorite activity was going to Latacunga to observe the Mama Negra festival. (They have it on two dates, one September 23/24 (the people's festival) and one in November (a municipal event).

I will just copy-paste for you my post to one of travel forums after our visit to Quito, may be it will be helpful))

We were visiting Ecuador for the first time and were using airbnb to find a place to stay - also for the first time. So i was a little nervous how everything goes - it was our first visit to south America. Moreover, we had pretty limited budget...

First of all we wanted to visit Teleferiqo to climb to the Pichincha (it really takes all day!!), of course we wanted to visit the equator line (i'd say it will take you half a day) and the old city (La Ronda, says Lonely Planet, is a must see in Quito, you have to visit it both during the daytime and at night, but at night only from Wednesday to Saturday) and of course La Mariscal - the Gringoland, party zone (again, at night from Wednesday through Saturday, at daytime - any day) with lots of bars, night clubs,restaurants etc.))))
And we were lucky to find a place located right in the middle between the Old City and La Mariscal, also it took us 10 minutes to get from it to Teleferiqo, and the bus stop to the equator line is very close. So we saved a lot of time money getting to all the places we wanted to see in Quito.
Moreover the guys who owned a place were so friendly, they helped us a lot explaining how to get to our places of interest!! Moreover, they helped us to correct our plan of traveling around Ecuador, explaining what is the best to see and how to get there easily!
Also they explained some must-know things, like how to distinguish legal and illegal taxis, its cost, where to buy the best fruits, and, of course, what to do in case if something happens. We are extremely grateful for that!!
And the room was very nice, with warm water and separate entrance - which is very important if you plan to spend couple of nights in La Mariscal))) Also the house has a great view!! It is located in the high heel, so we were able to see from our window all the central part of Quito!!

So, to those who plan to visit Quito, i really recommend to start with the sights i have listed above! Also, if you still do not have a place to stay, go to airbnb and search for "Comfortable room in center of Quito", the hosts' names are Julia & Gabriel. You will not regret it!!

Hope it helps you)) also i think it will be a good decision to visit Otavalo, Banos and Cuenca. Mindo is a must see - if you like nature.

PS. Julia and Gabriel were telling me that they hosted several "around 60" couples, according to their words the couples left Ecuador happy))))